Traction-engine



. 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. i (LG; COOPER.

Traction-Engine.

No. 222x050. Patented Mar. 2, 1880.

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MATTORNEY.

. 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. I

0. 'G'. COOPER. Traction-Engine.

No. 225,050. Pate nted Mar 2, 1830.

INVENTOB. C6 63% WITNESSES MATTORNEY.

NPETERS. PNOTO-LITHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON. D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES G. COOPER, OF MOUNT VERNON, OHIO.

TRACTION-ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 225,050, dated March 2, 1880.

Application filed January 20, 1880.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, GHARLEs G. OooPER, of Mount Vernon, county of Knox, in the State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Traction-Engines, of

which the following is a specification.

My invention has relation to a traction or road engine of the kind described in my Letters Patent No. 218,714, dated August 19, 187 9-that is to say, an engine in which motion is communicated from the motor to powerdriven truck-wheels through the intermediary of a double-actin g automatic pawl-andratchet mechanism.

I have in some respectsimproved and simplified the construction of what is called the reversin g disk in my aforesaid Letters Patent.

I have also devised a different way of ob; taining the friction which is requisite in order to cause said disk to operate the pawls, and.

have modified the arrangement of the disk with respect to the pawl-carrier.

The nature of my improvements and the manner in which the same are or may be carried into eft'ectmay best be explained and understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a plan of so much of a tractionengine embodying myimprovements as needed to illustrate my invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse verticalsection through one of the power-driven truck-wheels and parts adjacent thereto on line 17 m, Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section through the pawl-andratchet mechanism of said truck-wheel on line y 3 Fig. 2. I haveh ere represented the pawl-and-ratchet mechanism as mounted on the axle of the power-driven truck-wheels. It may, however, be mounted on the intermediate shaft, as represented in my above-named Letters Patent.

The truck-wheels I are mounted loosely on their axle. This axle may extend from side to side of the engine through the fire-box, or preferably may consist of two short pieces, J, one on each side of the fire-box,on which the truck-wheels are loosely mounted. Each power-driven truck-wheel is provided with its own independent pawl-and-ratchet device, and a description of one will answer for both.

Upon the hub of each wheel I is mounted a gear-wheel, A,,carrying the pawls which communicate movement to the truck-wheels. These pawls a a are arranged in pairs, the

pawls of each pair being placed in opposition,

so that one will engage and act on the ratchet in a direction opposite to that on which the other will act. The ratchet is represented at B, .1

formed in one with or attached rigidly to tpc truck-wheel I, and having square notches, as

shown, so as to engage either pawl. The pawls have their pivots in bosses carried by an overhanging rim, O, attached to or formed in one with the gear-Wheel A.

Between each pair of pawls is a reversing tongue, I), which is attached to the reversingdisk D, and at its outer end projects horizontally between the spokes c o of the pawl-carryin g wheel (3, so as to enter the space between the pawls a a. The hub of the reversing-disk tain blocks of Babbitt metal or other suitable material, which, by screws 6, are pressed against 2 the axle J, in order to obtain the requisite friction between the parts.

The gear-wheels .O are driven by pinions E on the intermediate shaft, F, which, through the intermediary of the inclined shaft G and suitable gearing, is driven from the engineshaft H.

According to the direction in which the reversing-tongue b is moved,it willraise the pawl a or a away from the ratchet and allow the one not raised to drop into engagement with said ratchet.

In Fig. 3 the parts are represented as revolving in the direction indicated by the arrow, in which position the pawl a is in engagement with the ratchet and the pawl a is raised by the tongue I) of the reversing-disk, which is compelled to revolve by reason of the spoke c of the wheel (3, which comes against the tongue.

wheel 0 be reversed the pawls a a will partake of the movement, but the reversing-disk If, now, the motion of I00 movement of the truck-wheel.

and mowers, in which each pawl has an atwillnot untilthe wheel Chas movedfar enough to bring its opposite spoke, 0, up against the tongue I) but during the time the reversingdisk has remained at rest the pawls have traveled far enough to cause the rear pawl, a, which before was in front, to be raised by the tongue outof engagement with the ratchet, and to permit the opposite pawl, a, to get clear of the reversing-ton gue, and so drop into engagement with the ratchet, thus compelling the reverse The space between each pair of spokes 0 0 is just sufficient to permit the above action of the reversing-disk, allowing it to rest long enough to reverse the pawls, and then carrying it around with the wheel 0 in position to again reverse the pawls, when the direction of movement is again changed.

The pawls preferably are pressed toward the ratchets by springs S, as shown. I propose, however, to use with the pawls a spring arrangement similar to that used in reapers tached spring whose free end can be moved to one side or the other of a projection, the spring serving either to hold up the pawl or to press it down, according to the side of the projection to which its free end may be brought. This arrangement would be of advantage in that, if it should be desired to haul the engine by animal power alone, thehpawls could be lifted by hand, and would be held by their springs in this position until again depressed.

Having described my said invention and the manner in which the same is or may be 1 carried into effect, what I claim,and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. The combination, with the rotating pawlcarrier and one or more pairs of pawls carried by the same, of the reversing-disk, capable of a movement of partial rotation independently of the pawl-carrier, and provided with one or more tongues, projecting one between each pair of pawls, and a friction device to retard the movement of the said disk when the latter is not engaged with the pawl-carrier,substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

2. The rotating reversing-disk, provided in its hub wit-hone or more friction-blocks, in combination with means, substantially as described, for pressing said blocks more or less closely against the journal or axle on which said disk moves, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. In an automatic double-acting pawl-andratchet mechanism operating substantially as described, a pawl-carrying wheel provided with spokes, spaced as specified, in combination with a reversing-disk provided with a tongue which projects through the wheel between said spokes into the space between the pair of pawls on said wheel, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 5th day of January, 1880.

CHAS. G. COOPER.

Witnesses:

WILL H, PORTER, E. W. PYLE. 

